2013 NFL Draft Grades: Report Cards for All 32 GMs

Harry How/Getty ImagesRavens GM Ozzie Newsome is known for having good drafts. How'd he do in 2013?

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Post-NFL draft grades are a little controversial. On the one hand, it's only natural to want to assign a grade—a letter grade, or at least pass/fail—to the hauls each team lands. On the other, it's hard to determine just how well the draft actually works until each player hits the field, which could take months to a year or more.

Another approach, which we're taking here, is to grade the men tasked with ultimately making these picks, the general managers. Let's break down how each NFL team's GM handled the 2013 draft, based on the ability to meet needs while also building depth and finding values.

Buffalo Bills: Buddy Nix

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The Buffalo Bills needed to shore up their offense more than anything as well as bring on a quarterback for the future. General manager Buddy Nix did manage to do this early in the draft, but to mixed results. In the first round, the team selected quarterback EJ Manuel, the first passer off the board and the only one taken in the round.

He then added weapons for Manuel or perceived incumbent Kevin Kolb in receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. Between those two receiver picks, he also brought on help for the defensive front with inside linebacker Kiko Alonso in Round 2. The Round 7 pickup of speedy tight end Chris Gragg was also a smart addition; he's a pure receiver and a good weapon at even better value.

Aside from the questionable Manuel pick and the back-to-back strong safeties in Rounds 4 and 5, Nix did well.

Miami Dolphins: Jeff Ireland

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Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland has drawn a lot of ire (pun intended) from Dolphins fans for poor drafts, overspending on free agents and missing on others despite the amount of money on the table.

Ireland made a splash early, trading up all the way to third overall to take pass-rusher Dion Jordan, meeting a very real need while also getting the best player available at the position. The rest of the draft was a hole-filling exercise in perception—the Dolphins likely got the best players available to them, but other general managers would likely disagree.

They added two cornerbacks in Rounds 2 and 3—Jamar Taylor and Will Davis, respectively—offensive tackle Dallas Thomas in Round 3 (rather than trading for the Chiefs' Brandon Albert), and a depth inside linebacker in Round 4 in Jelani Jenkins.

New England Patriots: Committee

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The New England Patriots don't have a dedicated general manager. Instead, they have a committee of decision-makers that includes team president Jonathan Kraft, director of player personnel Nick Caserio and, of course, head coach Bill Belichick.

The Patriots rarely mess up their drafts. They find ways to accumulate picks, make trades and find value without feeling pressured to use every draft slot they have if they aren't impressed with their options.

They started the draft with few picks and most of them early on. While it remained front-loaded after trades—two second-rounders, two thirds, a fourth and three sevens—they still managed to add more picks. Two of those were spent on wide receivers, with the Patriots grabbing Marshall's Aaron Dobson in the second and TCU's Josh Boyce in the fourth.

In between they helped out their oft-struggling secondary, drafting corner Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon, both of Rutgers. They added a steal of a pass-rusher in Round 7 with Illinois' Michael Buchanan.

New York Jets: John Idzik

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The New York Jets went into the 2013 draft a mess and they don't seem to be any cleaner afterward. The pressure was certainly on new general manager John Idzik to help turn around their recent and very public slide, and instead they've left with more questions and media scrutiny—two things they didn't need.

It all started with the ninth overall pick when they attempted to mitigate the loss of cornerback Darrelle Revis by taking Alabama's Dee Milliner. We'll see how that works out. They also grabbed a defensive tackle, Sheldon Richardson, in Round 1, which might have been their most sensible selection.

In Round 2, they took quarterback Geno Smith, making him the sixth passer on the roster and throwing Mark Sanchez's future in New York into serious doubt. They followed that up with a third-round selection of offensive guard Brian Winters, at least meeting a need—shoring up their offensive line—but perhaps too late.

Value and Depth: Offensive guard Brian Winters could be a good value, and if not, he's certainly a help with line depth. The same can be said for Oday Aboushi, taken in Round 5. Fullback Tommy Bohanon makes the trade for running back Chris Ivory even more interesting.

Boom/Bust Potential: Geno Smith and Dee Milliner. That's a lot of risk wrapped up in the first two rounds.

Baltimore Ravens: Ozzie Newsome

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The Baltimore Ravens are well-known for being an excellent drafting team, thanks mostly to smart and patient general manager Ozzie Newsome. No one seems to know how to build a roster for the present as well as the future, and that approach is very apparent in how they handled their offseason after winning the Super Bowl and the 2013 draft.

The Ravens were able to meet needs while getting players at a great value, starting with their Round 1 selection of Matt Elam, who should be able to start immediately in the strong safety position vacated by the release of Bernard Pollard.

They followed that with a necessary linebacker (Kansas State's Arthur Brown), a nose tackle to hopefully leapfrog Terrence Cody in Brandon Williams, and depth on offense and defense in Round 4.

Needs Met: Strong safety, linebacker, nose tackle, wide receiver.

Value and Depth: For his draft positioning, Brandon Williams is certainly a value pick; Arthur Brown could be as well. Fullback Kyle Juszczyk can contribute immediately in two-back situations and could take over for the expensive Vonta Leach in 2014.

Elon receiver Aaron Mellette, a seventh-round selection, is in the Anquan Boldin mold and was an absolute steal; he could start in 2013.

Cincinnati Bengals: Committee

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The Cincinnati Bengals' draft-day decisions are made by a combination of owner Mike Brown and player personnel vice presidents Paul and Pete Brown. This family has been the source of much criticism in the past, but in the last three years that has changed drastically. The Bengals have become one of the best-drafting teams in the NFL, and 2013 continues that trend.

In the spirit of teams taking the best player available in Round 1, the Bengals took top tight end Tyler Eifert, adding a major weapon to allow quarterback Andy Dalton to take a big third-year leap. In the second round, need and talent were met when the Bengals got running back Giovani Bernard, the exact type of back they needed to pair with BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Defensive end Margus Hunt and linebacker Sean Porter give them much-needed defensive depth. The only questionable move was strong safety Shawn Williams in Round 3; in an ideal world, they would have gotten a better one earlier on, but their Rounds 1 and 2 picks justify putting the position off until later.

Cleveland Browns: Mike Lombardi, Joe Banner

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Though Mike Lombardi is the Cleveland Browns general manager, no draft pick could have been made without the assistance of CEO Joe Banner. The two are the latest decision-makers in Cleveland tasked with turning the franchise around.

Lombardi and Banner have said they want to build the team through the draft, but it's looking like they meant the 2014 draft, not 2013. In the first five rounds, they made just two picks—in Rounds 1 and 3—with their second (wisely) used to take receiver Josh Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft and their Rounds 4 and 5 picks traded for picks in Rounds 3 and 4 in 2014.

In Round 1, the Browns got a premier speed pass-rusher in Barkevious Mingo and took a needed cornerback in Round 3, San Diego State's Leon McFadden.

Value and Depth: The value the Browns got will be seen in 2014, when they add another third- and fourth-round pick to their arsenal in trade for fourth- and fifth-rounders in 2013.

Strong safety Jamoris Slaughter, taken in Round 6, is coming off a torn Achilles tendon but has special teams talent, and seventh-round defensive end Armonty Bryant is a top-100 talent with character issues that dragged his stock down.

Boom/Bust Potential: CB Leon McFadden, who appears better suited for the slot, may be starting on the outside with Joe Haden.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Colbert

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are generally known for their good drafting, but they've seemingly had far more misses than hits over the past few seasons. Their 2013 draft haul, however, seems to be one of their strongest in recent memory.

The Steelers made a major improvement to their pass rush in Round 1, taking linebacker Jarvis Jones. They followed it up with a clone of departed free-agent wide receiver Mike Wallace in Marcus Wheaton in Round 3 and workhorse back Le'Veon Bell in Round 2. They also got a starting safety for the future in Sharmarko Thomas in Round 4, followed by a young backup quarterback in Landry Jones a few picks later.

Houston Texans: Rick Smith

Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith had two mandates headed into the 2013 draft—land another wide receiver and build defensive depth, both of which he accomplished.

The first came in Round 1, when the Texans took receiver DeAndre Hopkins. They rounded out their defense later on, with safety D.J. Swearinger in Round 2, defensive end Sam Montgomery in Round 3 and outside linebacker Trevardo Williams in Round 4.

Indianapolis Colts: Ryan Grigson

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The Indianapolis Colts were a surprise playoff team in 2012 despite being at the very beginning of what appeared to be a long rebuild. That doesn't mean their needs magically evaporated, however. They still had to find a way to better protect quarterback Andrew Luck and add some viciousness to their defense.

That viciousness appears to be coming from defensive end Bjoern Werner, their first-round pick. In Rounds 3 and 4, they helped out their offensive line, taking guard Hugh Thornton and center Khaled Holmes.

Jacksonville Jaguars: David Caldwell

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Jacksonville Jaguars general manager has the daunting task of pulling the team out of the significant hole it has been in over the past few years. His 2013 draft haul appears, at least on paper, to be one positive step in that direction.

The Jaguars started off by taking tackle Luke Joeckel second overall, followed it up with excellent strong safety Johnathan Cyprien, corner Dwayne Gratz, free safety Josh Evans and wide receiver Ace Sanders. They also took former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson in the fifth round; he'll play running back and return kicks for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville closed out its draft with more help for its secondary, taking free safety Josh Evans and cornerbacks Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray in Rounds 6 and 7.

Tennessee Titans: Ruston Webster

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The Tennessee Titans had a great number of holes to fill in this year's draft and could have met them in a number of ways. General manager Ruston Webster decided to focus on offense in the first two rounds, taking first guard Chance Warmack and then trading up in Round 2 to get speedy receiver Justin Hunter, further piling on more weapons for quarterback Jake Locker.

In Round 3, the focus shifted to defense, with the Titans taking cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson and outside linebacker Zaviar Gooden. They added offensive line depth later on with center Brian Schwenke and an SEC defensive end in LSU's Lavar Edwards in the fifth.

Needs Met: Offensive line starters and depth, cornerback.

Value and Depth: Justin Hunter at the very least gives the Titans tremendous receiver depth; center Brian Schwenke gives the Titans great depth at solid value.

Denver Broncos: John Elway, Matt Russell

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The Denver Broncos' draft war room is commanded by two men—executive vice president of football operations John Elway and player personnel director Matt Russell. Their goal for this year: get stronger, not weaker, by adding depth and youth to the roster. They accomplished it.

The Broncos addressed a number of positions—defensive tackle in Round 1 with Sylvester Williams, running back in Round 2 with Montee Ball, the secondary in Round 3 with Kayvon Webster among them—without the added pressure of needing too many immediate home runs.

Needs Met: Running back, well-rounded depth.

Value and Depth: Western Kentucky defensive end Quanterus Smith in Round 5.

Boom/Bust Potential: None particularly, though running backs in general are always a risk.

Kansas City Chiefs: John Dorsey

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Kansas City Chiefs general manager John Dorsey wisely took his team out of the running for quarterback Geno Smith when they acquired Alex Smith. The question then became which offensive tackle they would take with the first overall selection. That ended up being the athletic Eric Fisher, the first of three consecutive picks to hopefully help boost what was an anemic offense in 2012.

How they did so, however, was rather questionable. They took tight end Travis Kelce in the third round, who has more experience as a blocker but should provide some help in the passing game, and running back Knile Davis after that, which may prove troublesome once he actually takes the field.

In Rounds 4 and 5, their attention shifted to defense, taking first Alabama inside linebacker Nico Johnson and then Georgia corner Sanders Commings.

Oakland Raiders: Reggie McKenzie

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Finally, Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie had the opportunity to get down to real draft business, now that the team actually had some picks to work with. Unsurprisingly, they used two of their first three on defense. Surprisingly, they traded down in Round 1 and took cornerback D.J. Hayden; less surprisingly, the found themselves a steal of a pass-rusher in linebacker Sio Moore in Round 3.

In Round 2, the Raiders worked to improve their offensive line by taking tackle Menelik Watson. They rounded it out with multiple offensive picks later on, including quarterback Tyler Wilson in Round 4, tight ends Nick Kasa and Mychal Rivera both in Round 6 and running back Latavius Murray, also in Round 6.

San Diego Chargers: Tom Telesco

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San Diego Chargers general manager Tom Telesco must be kicking himself for missing out on the left tackle run at the top of Round 1. Though they got the draft's best right tackle in D.J. Fluker, someone who is quite capable of protecting quarterbacks, he's far better in the run game.

Aside from offensive line help, they also landed one of the better-known names in the draft, linebacker Manti Te'o. It's a flashy move, but he's not a three-down player. They also lucked out in Round 3 with wide receiver Keenan Allen; quarterback Philip Rivers desperately needed another impact target to throw to.

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones

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There may be other men in the Dallas Cowboys' war room, but don't kid yourself: Jerry Jones is making the decisions. And just as Jones himself may be a little crazy, so is their 2013 draft haul, starting in Round 1.

The Cowboys took center Travis Frederick 31st overall after moving down; Frederick doesn't fit their blocking scheme and was mostly viewed as a third-round talent. They followed this up with tight end Gavin Escobar and Baylor receiver Terrance Williams before switching to the secondary in Rounds 3 and 4, taking strong safety J.J. Wilcox followed up by cornerback B.W. Webb. They also added a running back, Round 5's Joseph Randle.

New York Giants: Jerry Reese

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New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese needed to pick up pieces to plug into very specific holes this year and was successful in doing so for the most part. In Round 1, he landed versatile offensive lineman Justin Pugh from Syracuse, bolstered their defensive line in Rounds 2 and 3 with Johnathan Hankins and Damontre Moore and added strong safety Cooper Taylor in Round 5.

Most intriguingly, the Giants drafted Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib in Round 4. Whether this is to find a young backup for Eli Manning or his eventual replacement someday is yet to be seen.

Needs Met: Offensive line, defensive line depth.

Depth and Value: Damontre Moore in the third round, Ryan Nassib in the fourth.

Philadelphia Eagles: Howie Roseman

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Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman lucked out with his team picking fourth overall—it allowed them to grab a talented, athletic left tackle in Lane Johnson who will not only protect the quarterback but be agile enough to handle Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense.

He followed that up with another weapon for said quarterback, tight end Zach Ertz, who also has blocking skills. The next step was help for the defensive line in LSU's Bennie Logan. In Round 4, they added yet another quarterback to their stable in USC's Matt Barkley before going back to defense with strong safety Earl Wolff.

Washington Redskins: Bruce Allen

The mandate for Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen was simple: improve the defense, augmented by best players available. They certainly followed this approach in the 2013 draft.

To help shore up their porous secondary, they added cornerback David Amerson in the second round, before dipping back into offense to give Robert Griffin III another tight end to throw to: Florida's Jordan Reed. They returned to the secondary in Round 4, going with Fresno State safety Phillip Thomas.

Their next move was on offense—running back Chris Thompson—and then back to defense again, with defensive end Brandon Jenkins.

Chicago Bears: Phil Emery

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Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery had to do two things in the 2013 draft: find protection for quarterback Jay Cutler and boost the defense, including finding a linebacker to potentially take Brian Urlacher's place.

Not surprisingly, therefore, the Bears focused their energies on offensive line and the defensive front seven, taking guard/tackle Kyle Long in Round 1, outside linebackers Jon Bostic and Khaseem Greene in Rounds 2 and 4, offensive tackle Jordan Mills in Round 5 and Georgia defensive end Cornelius Washington in Round 6.

Detroit Lions: Martin Mayhew

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Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew is known for taking personnel risks, which is just what he did in Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2013 draft, taking first pass-rusher Ziggy Ansah, he of the limited football experience, and then cornerback Darius Slay, who was injured in 2012.

They then helped out their offensive line in Round 3, getting a steal in guard Larry Warford, before adding depth at punter, defensive end, receiver and running back in later rounds. The signing of a blocking savant, tight end Michael Williams of Alabama, should really help their run game.

Green Bay Packers: Ted Thompson

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Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson is considered a draft guru, and in looking at his 2013 draft picks, it's easy to see why.

The Packers opened up the event by taking defensive end Datone Jones, got themselves two premiere running backs in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin in Rounds 2 and 4, respectively, brought on offensive line help to protect Aaron Rodgers and help those two new backs gain yardage and added depth to their defense in later rounds.

Minnesota Vikings: Rick Spielman

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The Minnesota Vikings general manager, Rick Spielman, decided aggressiveness was the team's best course in the draft, taking three players in Round 1 and then not picking again until Round 4. The moves were big ones and should make a positive impact immediately.

Those three first-rounders all meet important needs. Defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd fell and the Vikings will benefit greatly from it, cornerback Xavier Rhodes is exactly who they needed in Round 1, and their trade back into the round for receiver Cordarrelle Patterson was pitch-perfect.

In later rounds, the Vikings added linebacker depth in Penn State's Gerald Hodges and offensive line help in UCLA guard Jeff Baca; they also grabbed a punter, Jeff Locke, also from UCLA, in Round 5.

Atlanta Falcons: Thomas Dimitroff

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Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff needed to do one thing in this year's draft: improve Atlanta's secondary. Otherwise, they had the freedom to get the best players available and build more depth.

The Falcons addressed the secondary with their first two picks, taking cornerbacks Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford in Rounds 1 and 2. They rounded this out with two mid-round defensive ends, Mallicah Goodman and Stansly Maponga, and a tight end, Levine Toilolo, in between.

Carolina Panthers: David Gettleman

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Carolina Panthers general manager David Gettleman had just five picks to work with, which gave him fewer chances to get it right. The Panthers lucked out in the first round by snagging the falling defensive tackle Star Lotulelei at 14th overall and then went defensive tackle again in the second, taking Kawaan Short from Purdue.

In Round 4, the Panthers went with an offensive guard (Edmond Kugbila), found a depth inside linebacker in Round 5 in A.J. Klein and got a fantastic value running back in Kenjon Barner in Round 6.

Needs Met: Defensive line.

Value and Depth: There may be no greater value depth signing than Kenjon Barner in this year's draft. Getting Lotulelei in Round 1 was a steal in its own right, too.

Boom/Bust Potential: All of Carolina's picks have greater upside than bust potential.

New Orleans Saints: Mickey Loomis

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis needed to do the most with the few picks he had—five to be exact—and managed to get the team two strong starters and three additional depth additions.

In Round 1, the Saints got the draft's best safety, Kenny Vaccaro, and followed that up in Round 3 with a solid offensive tackle, Terron Armstead. After that, depth was the order of the day, with defensive tackle Johnathan Jenkins in Round 3, wide receiver Kenny Stills in Round 5 and linebacker Rufus Johnson in Round 6.

Needs Met: Safety, offensive tackle.

Value and Depth: Johnathan Jenkins, Kenny Stills.

Boom/Bust Potential: Terron Armstead; Johnathan Jenkins could also be a pleasant surprise.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Dominik

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Mark Dominik, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager, wisely decided to trade his first-round pick for cornerback Darrelle Revis, but that didn't mean the team was set at the position. In Round 2, they took another, Johnthan Banks, and then spent the majority of their other picks dealing with issues elsewhere on the defense.

In Rounds 4 and 5, they snagged two defensive ends, William Gholston and Steven Means, along with a defensive tackle in Round 4, Akeem Spence. They also picked up quarterback Mike Glennon to push Josh Freeman and a late-round running back, Mike James. They traded LeGarrette Blount to the New England Patriots.

Arizona Cardinals: Steve Keim

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Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim needed to help out his team's offense this year while also getting a few well-targeted defensive players and they did just that, hitting a home run in a draft year that required it.

From offensive guard Jonathan Cooper in Round 1, to safety Tyrann Mathieu in the third, from inside linebacker Kevin Minter in the second and to defensive end Alex Okafor in the fourth, not to mention receiver Ryan Swope and running back Andre Ellington in Round 6, the Cardinals nailed pretty much every pick.

Needs Met: Offensive line, right-guy defenders, Ryan Swope.

Value and Depth: Mathieu, Minter, Okafor, Ellington and Swope.

Boom/Bust Potential: Mathieu, of course; Swope and Ellington have very high upsides.

St. Louis Rams: Les Snead

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If there's one thing St. Louis Rams general manager Les Snead needed to do in the 2013 draft, it was to give quarterback Sam Bradford more weapons and he did it early and he did it often. First, he took West Virginia receiver Tavon Austin in Round 1 and then his fellow Mountaineers teammate Stedman Bailey in Round 3.

The Rams also brought on some defensive help, taking linebacker Alec Ogletree at the end of Round 1 and safety T.J. McDonald in Round 3. Center Barrett Jones in Round 4 was a great value addition.

San Francisco 49ers: Trent Baalke

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There's only one way to describe San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke's 2013 draft haul: the rich get richer. With 11 picks and ultimately few glaring holes, the Niners were able to get some absolutely astoundingly talented players and wheel and deal at the same time.

They met their biggest need in Round 1 when they drafted safety Eric Reid. They then picked up two more defensive powerhouses, defensive ends Tank Carradine and Corey Lemonier in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively. The Niners were also able to pick up running back Marcus Lattimore in Round 4, whom they will have sit for 2013 and hopefully have healthy for 2014.

Needs Met: Safety, incredible defensive line depth.

Value and Depth: Every single non-Reid pick is full of value and builds the Niners' depth considerably.

Boom/Bust Potential: Reid is stiff-hipped, which is something to keep in mind. Lemonier has very high upside. We'll have to wait and see on what's to come in Lattimore's future.

Seattle Seahawks: John Schneider

The Seattle Seahawks were a pretty complete team heading into the NFL draft, which meant that general manager John Schneider had the opportunity to get creative when adding depth to the roster.

That creativity became apparent early. The Seahawks' first pick of the draft, in Round 2, was spent on running back Christine Michael. They they nabbed excellent Penn State defensive tackle Jordan Hill in Round 3, and Seahawks-perfect 6'2" cornerback Tharold Simon in Round 5.

Needs Met: With few needs, the Seahawks had one mandate: get the right guys. We'll see on that.

Value and Depth: Every move Schneider made was with value and depth in mind. Every pick, from Christine Michael on down, reflects this.

Boom/Bust Potential: Michael is still a bit of a risky pickup, at least from a character perspective. Tharold Simon is as well, despite being the very picture of a Seahawks corner. Wide receiver Chris Harper, taken in Round 4, is very intriguing.